AS SAFE AS IN CHURCH. 169 



" * Nothing at all, barrin' the mails and this young 

 lady. I'm after telling her you'll lave her at the 



gate ; she's going to the Castle, only ' approaching 



nearer, and whispering behind his hand with a 

 significant glance at Finnigan's mare. 



" ' Oh, the sorra a fear ! ' rejoined Larry loudly, 

 and then addressing the young lady, he said : ' Up 

 ye git, miss, and I'll rowl ye there as safe as if ye 

 were in a sate in church.' 



"It was all very well to say ' Up ye git ; ' but, in 

 the first place, there was no step to the car, and, in 

 the second, it is by no means an easy feat to climb 

 on any vehicle when in motion, and Larry's rampant 

 investment kept giving sudden bounds and playful little 

 prancings, that showed her impatience to be oace 

 more on the road. However, by dint of being held 

 forcibly down by the united strength of two men, 

 she consented to give the lady passenger an oppor- 

 tunity of scrambling up on the jarvey ; and Larry 

 having produced a horse-rug (with a strong perfume 

 of the stable), wrapped it carefully about her knees, 

 then, mounting on the other side of the vehicle 

 himself, he laid hold of the reins, and, with a yell 

 to his friends to ' Give her her head,' they were ofT 

 as if starting for a flat-race, accompanied by a shout 

 of ' Mind yourself, miss,' from the friendly porter, 

 and ' Safe home, Larry,' from the little knot of 

 spectators who were gathered round the station 

 door. 



" At first, all the ' So-hoing,' and ' Easy now, 

 my lass,' might just as well have been addressed to 

 "the hard flint road along which they were rattling. 

 The mare kept up a fast canter for the best part of 

 a mile, and the girl's whole energies were devoted 



